 A peeping tom is a man who secretly observes women who are naked and its origins lie in the story of Lady Godiva in the 11th century. She was married to an earl who owned large land holdings and he imposed heavy taxes on the less wealthy which resulted in public outrage. Godiva disagreed with the taxes and asked her husband to reduce them. Thinking she would never do it, he agreed to lower the taxes on the condition that she rode a horse naked through the streets of Coventry in England.